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or more than twenty years, filmmaker Neil Burger and architect Diana Kellogg have called one of Tribeca’s tiniest, most photographed alleys home. Staple Street, a brick passage crowned by a slender cast‑iron skybridge, has long attracted photographers, yet only a handful of residents live there. The couple now plans to sell their two‑building complex for $30 million, according to the Wall Street Journal.
They bought a 1860s brick townhouse in 2002 after leaving nearby Thomas Street in the wake of 9/11. The 4,100‑square‑foot home, built on industrial bones—exposed brick, heavy timber beams, oversized windows—has been transformed into a warm, idiosyncratic retreat. Chestnut beams, a repurposed freight‑elevator shaft turned into a “green room,” and a built‑in bookcase fashioned from the old lift’s rails are among the touches that reflect both their professions and family life. The living level features a wood‑burning fireplace; the upper floor now houses a large primary suite overlooking the skybridge.
In 2008, the pair acquired the commercial unit directly across the alley and converted it into a studio and office, layered with film posters and architectural renderings. The two buildings sit only a few steps apart, linked by the secluded alleyway that has functioned almost as an extension of their home. The street has hosted juggler‑daughter duos, opera singers testing acoustics, and, on Halloween, the couple’s candy‑handing windows and impromptu hockey games when traffic thinned.
Their children grew up amid the quiet block, with the alley serving as a backdrop for street hockey, opera practice, and neighborhood celebrations. Over the years, the lower level shifted from an indoor play zone to a guest suite and den, while small storage vaults beneath the alley remain intact. “It’s just not cookie‑cutter,” Kellogg told the Journal, noting that the townhouse’s scale and proportions convinced them to take on the project.
Burger spent part of last year directing in London, and Kellogg’s firm has completed projects worldwide, including a heat‑resistant school in India. The couple also maintains a residence in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, and anticipate spending more time outside the city. Burger has even floated the idea of buying a boat to use as a floating residence on the Hudson River while in town—a “crazier idea,” he said.
Listing broker Jeremy Stein of Sotheby’s International Realty describes the property as a type that defies standard comparison. “Pricing is both art and science,” he explained. “You think, ‘What are the other unicorns that have sold in New York and what have they sold for?’ Given that there’s nothing like it, what do you think someone might pay for it?”
Even as they prepare to part with Staple Street, Kellogg says they expect to keep some foothold in Manhattan, likely something smaller and simpler. The years spent on the quiet alley will remain a singular chapter in their lives.
